Steering-wheel lock



unirse GEORGE R. DAVIDSON, F LENOX, MICHIGAN.

STEERING-WHEEL LOCK.

L 3413i 545:@ Specification of Letters Patent. -l:";;g,a3n';e( Aug. 3, 1920. Application filed January 14, 1920. Serial No. 351,306.

To all whom t may con/fern; the opening being of a diameter slightly Be it known that I, Gnoncn R. DAVIDSON, greater than the diameter of the locking ball acitizen ofthe United States, residing at 12 operating therein, and to be hereinafter Lenox, in the county oi' Macomb and State more fully described, the metallic band 13, 60

of Michigan, have invented a new and usewhich is formed of suitable resilient ma fiul Steering-Wheel Lock, of which the folterial embraces the extension 10, and covers lowing is a. specification. the opening 11 for guarding the opening and This invention relates to new and useful preventing displacement of the locking ball improvements in automobile locks, and more 12, when the same is moved to its locking 65 particularly to a novel locking means emposition, the collar 14e however being sup ployed in connection with the steering Wheel ported in slightly spaced relation with the for locking the steering wheel against roband 13 for securing the band 13 to the eX- tary movement. tension 10, but at the same time permitting r he vprimary object oi the invention is to a slight radial movement of the band 13 70 l5 provide means for locking the steering with relation ofthe collar 14.

wheel to the steering column, which locking .he internal threads 6, of the supporting means is controlled byva predetermined key, ring 5, are provided for association with a thereby preventing unauthorized persons suitable threaded extremity .of a steering from moving the car equipped Wi'h the lock# column, not shown, the supporting ring 75 l0 ing device. .y forming a housing for the stub shaft 15 A further object or" the invention is to which has its upper s uared en d 16 seated provide a novel means for clutching the in a squared opening ormed in the clutch steering wheel to an auxiliary stub shaft, member 17, so that movement of the clutch for preventing movement of the steering member 17 produces a relative movement of 80 wheel relative to the stub shaft. the stub shaft.

With the foregoing and other objects in In order that rotary movement of the view which will appear as the description stub sha-ft 15 may be transmitted to the proceeds, the invention resides in the comusual steering post. of an automobile, the bination and arrangement of parts and in teeth 18 are provided, which teeth mesh 85 S0 the 'details of construction hereinafter dewith the internal teeth formed on a gear scribed and claimed, it being understood Supported by a steering post, not shown in that changes in the precise embodiment of the present drawing, but which is of the the invention herein disclosed, may be made usual construction.

Within the scope of what is claimed, without A Wheel supportingA shank 19 extends 90 3e de arting from the spirit of the invention, through the extensionlO and has an eneferring to the drawing:` larged portion 20,housed by the supporting Figure 1 illustrates a longitudinal secr1ng 5, the depending flanges 21 thereof contional view through the locking structure tacting with the roller clutch members 22 forming the subject matter of the present disposed in the cut out portions 23.0f the e@ invention; clutch member 17, the spacing collar 24 be- Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line ing provided to support the roller clutch 2-2 of Fig. 1; members 22 in proper relation with each Fig. Bis a sectional vievv'taken on line other, so that movement of the Wheel sup- /3--3 of Fig. 1; and porting shank 19, and ange 21 thereof 100 e5 Fig. 4 illustrates a fragmental detail view transmits a similar movement to the clutch of the locking barrel forming a part of the member 17 through the roller clutch mempresent invention. bers 22, and consequently to theA stub shaft lReferrin to the drawing in detail, the with the result that the steering post, not reference c aracter 5 designates the supshown, is correspondingly rotated, to ac- 105 5.0 porting ring of the lock, which is shown as complish the steering of the automobile. internall 1 threaded as at 6, the upper end The washer 25 is of a diameter equal to thereof eing externally threaded as at 7 the interior diameter of the supporting ring to accommodate the internal threads 8 5 and contacts with the lower'surace of formed on the flange 9 of the extension 10.- the clutch member 17 and r This extension 10 is provided with an members 22 for the purpose of securingthe openinf yi in one of the side Walls thereof, clutch member 17 land roller clutch members 422 against displacement longitudinally of Y the supporting ring 5.

Disposed within one of the side walls ot the wheel supporting shank 19, and. pro vided at a point in registry with the opening 11 oi' the extension 10, is an opening 26, which opening accommodates the locking ball 12, when the device is in an unlocked position, the thickness of the wheel supporting shank 19 being such as to permit the locking ball 12 to be supported out of contact with the walls of the opening 11.l

This wheel supporting shank 19 is provided with a central longitudinal bore 27 of a diameter to accommodate the locking bar 29 which is ot' a length to extend from the upper` end of the wheel supporting shank 19 downwardly terminating at a point below the lower wall oi the opening 26, a portion of the locking bar 2S being cut away as at 29, to receive the locking ball 12, the edges ot' the locking bar 28 adjacent the out out portion 29, being rounded to present camming surfaces to permit the ball to ride up over the camming surfaces to the opposite side of the locking bar 2S when the same is rotated, which rotation causes the locking ball 12 to move from its .position within the opening 26 of the wheel supporting shank 19, to a position as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l of the drawing, whereupon the ball 12 connects the extension 10 to the wheel supporting shank 19, and since the extension 1() has connection with the steering rod column, the wheel supporting shank 19 is locked to the steering rod collar thus preventing movement of the steering wheel, to be hereinafter more fully described.

Extending from the upper edges of the wheel supporting shank 19 are the opposed key-ways 30, which key-ways support the keys 31 and 32 each of which is disposed in aI similar key-way formed in the hub 33 of the steering wheel 311e whereby the steering wheel BAL is locked to inove with the wheel supporting shank 19.

The key 32 is relatively long, extending above the upper edge of the wheel supporting shank 19 and engages within the walls oi the key-way 35 lformed in the supporting column 36 forming a part ofthe lock proper, thus it will be seen that the column 3G moves with the wheel 34.

As shown, the grooves 97 are formed within the column 36, the same being shown as disposed on opposite sides thereof, which grooves accommodate the tumblers 38 carried by the key barrel 39, a suitable key being provided for retracting the tumblers 38 from the grooves 37 wl. i the same is v inserted in the barrel 39, and since the barrel 99 has connection with the locking bar 28, 1t 1s of course obvious that. movement of nea-sei? the key within. the barrel 39 causes a rela,- tive movement of the bar 2S and looking bali 12 to lock the steering wheel to the steering column.

in the operation of the device, assuming that the steering wheel is to be locked, a key is inserted in the barrel 39, and the han rel is new rotated to a position as indi,- cated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing, which rotation moves the locking ball 12 to a position as indicated in dotted lines in. this iigure,y whereupon the device is moved to its locked position.

The key is now removed from the barrel 39 with the result that the tumblers 353 assume a position within the grooves 87 to lock the bar 29 in its locked position. lt it becomes necessary to unlock .the steering wheel 34, the key is again inserted in the barrel. 39 to retract the tumblers 3S from the grooves 37 whereupon the locking bar 528 may be again rotated to cause the locking ball 12 to move troni its position within the opening 1l., to the position as indicated in full lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

Having thus described the invention, what l claim as new is I- 1. In a' steering wheel lock, a supporting ring having connection with the steering' column, an extension having connection with the supporting ring and having a lateral opening formed therein, a wheel supporting shank extending through the extension and having an opening in registry with the lateral opening of the extension, means' for connecting a steering wheel to the lwheel supporting shank, a locking ball disposed. within the opening formed in the wheel supporting shank, and lock controlled meansv Yfor forcing the locking ball into the opening 'formed in the extension, for locking the wheel supporting shank to the supporting ring.

2. ln a steering wheel lock, a supporting ring connected to the steering wheel column, an extension having connection with the supporting ring to nieve therewith, said extension having a lateral opening, a wheel supporting shank associated with the extension and having an opening in registry with the lateral opening, a locking ball disposed within the opening ot' the Wheel supporting shank, a locking bar contacting with the locking ball, means for locking the locking bar in its operative position, ,and said locking bar adapted to move the locking ball into the lateral opening of the eX tension for locking the wheel supporting i extensionand having an opening in registry .with the opening of the extension, a locking ball disposed within the opening -of the Wheel supporting shank, means for moving the ball into the opening formed in the ex tension, resilient eans embracing the ,eX tension and covering the opening for restrictingmovemen. of the locking ball, a collar embracing tine resilient means, and a steerlng wheel keyed to the Wheel snppoz ing shank.

In testimony that I claim ithe foregoing as my oWn,. I have hereto affixed my signa ture in the,presence of two witnesses,

GEORGE R. -DLVEESQ' i Witnesses: v

A. E. DWILLE, GLENN BALCH. 

